"One of my favorite events of the year," Boston Bruins go holiday toy shopping for children in hospitals
WATERTOWN - The Boston Bruins visited the Target in Watertown Wednesday morning for their annual holiday toy shopping event.
Every year, the players and the Bruins Foundation buy toys to deliver to hundreds of children who will be spending the holidays in the hospital. All the toys are bought as donations from the players themselves and the foundation.
"It's one of my favorite events of the year, everyone's pretty happy getting up early and doing some great things for the community," said Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
The players went around Target with shopping lists, filling their carts with toys and other items.
"I did it last year for the first time and it's really good to do something like this with the team and for the kids, so it's a good event to be a part of," said Bruins forward Pavel Zacha.
For more than a decade, this has been one of the largest team-wide charity events of the season because the entire team participates. They said it's special to give back to the community together.
"It's a culture thing," said Swayman. "We've absolutely loved taking it by storm and giving back and when we get to see this full circle, we go to the children's hospital and give it to them firsthand and seeing their faces light up, that's one of my favorite things about it all."
Next week, the players will deliver the toys to children at most of the major hospitals around Boston.